Tag / lost children

The cover image, with the two photographed children standing at the steps of a pen drawing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was too iconic to be mistaken for any other. Dania’s heart skipped to see it in Gwen’s hands.

“The Mixed-Up Files” had been a formative book for Dania –– a testament to the power of art and history, the need to let facts affect you rather than simply accumulate in your mind. Since first reading Konigsburg’s book as a child, Dania had returned to it periodically. Each pass through Claudia and Jamie’s tale provided more details, including humor at the comparatively cheap prices in the New York of the 1960s.

Meet the Hanslick Girls: Gwen, Eleanor and Dania. Created by writer Zach Barr, they are a trio of friends who are always out experiencing the best of entertainment. Be it plays, films, concerts, exhibits, or games, they’ve learned that the arts are best when experienced together. They may not have the same opinions, but their conversations tend to make for an entertaining read. To celebrate Christmas Day, the Girls take a look at one of the more unconventional holiday specials: a 2003 film about family, faith, and second chances. Let’s hear what they had to say…

“That’s a…rather contrived note to end the movie on.”

“I’m satisfied,” Eleanor said, watching as the credits rolled by to a reggae-like cover of “Ode To Joy” – which perhaps had something to do with New Year’s Eve, but in practice seemed an odd choice.

“Huh,” Dania grunted. The film was her recommendation – she had grow up watching the unconventional holiday movie, and had wanted to share it with her friends. She was lucky to find a version with good subtitles online. The film lost something without its powerful original voice actors – even in a foreign language, the passion of their delivery helped the movie spring to life.